The 2nd Space Warning Squadron is part of the

Space Delta 4 Mission Delta 4 (MD4) is a United States Space Force unit responsible for providing strategic and theater missile warning and tracking to the United States and its international partners. It operates three constellations of Overhead Persistent I ...

Buckley Space Force Base Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First lieutenant, First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units includin ...

, Colorado. It operates the

Space-Based Infrared System The Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) is a United States Space Force system intended to meet the United States' Department of Defense infrared space surveillance needs through the first two to three decades of the 21st century. The SBIRS prog ...

satellite A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...

s conducting global monitoring for significant

infrared Infrared (IR; sometimes called infrared light) is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...

events. The squadron's mission is to operate and maintain the

. Additionally, it reports

ballistic missile A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are powered only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) typic ...

and

space launch Space launch is the earliest part of a flight that reaches space. Space launch involves liftoff, when a rocket or other space launch vehicle leaves the ground, floating ship or midair aircraft at the start of a flight. Liftoff is of two main ...

es,

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: *Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics * Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

detonations, and infrared data of operational value to the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

Secretary of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

, combatant commanders,

intelligence agencies An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objectives. Means of inf ...

, and global warfighters.

Operations

On 7 January 2020 2nd Space Warning Squadron detected the launches of more than a dozen missiles against US and coalition partners. This provided crucial warning to the warfighters, which helped them to take cover.

History

The squadron has operated

ground stations A ground station, Earth station, or Earth terminal is a terrestrial radio station designed for extraplanetary telecommunication with spacecraft (constituting part of the ground segment of the spacecraft system), or reception of radio waves fro ...

set up to control the

Defense Support Program The Defense Support Program (DSP) is a program of the United States Space Force that operated the reconnaissance satellites which form the principal component of the ''Satellite Early Warning System'' used by the United States. DSP satellite ...

(DSP) and

, space-based surveillance systems configured to detect and report ballistic missile launches, space launches, and nuclear detonations since 1992.

Lineage

* Constituted as the 2d Space Communications Squadron on 1 May 1992 : Activated on 15 May 1992 : Redesignated 2d Space Warning Squadron on 1 May 1993

Assignments

21st Operations Group Mission Delta 2 (MD2) is the United States Space Force's space domain awareness Space Delta, delta, headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. Mission Delta 2 tracks and monitors all human made objects from low Earth orbit to geosync ...

, 15 May 1992 *

21st Space Wing The 21st Wing (21 WG) is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force. It was established in 1953 as the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing, deploying to Europe to join NATO's Allied Command Europe, before being inactivated in 1958. It reactivated i ...

, 21 July 1995 *

460th Operations Group Mission Delta 4 (MD4) is a United States Space Force unit responsible for providing strategic and theater missile warning and tracking to the United States and its international partners. It operates three constellations of Overhead Persistent I ...

, unknown – present

Stations

* Buckley Air National Guard Base (now

), Colorado, 15 May 1992 – present

Systems Operated

satellites (200x-present) *

satellites (1992–present)

List of commanders

* Lt Col Francois Roy, July 2013 * Lt Col April Wimmer, 7 July 2015 *Lt Col Shannon DaSilva, 11 May 2017 * Lt Col Brandon Davenport, 5 June 2019 * Lt Col Michael Mariner, 1 July 2021 * Lt Col Scott M. Wright, 7 July 2023

References

Bibliography

External links

460th Operations Group Fact Sheet
{{USAF Space Command Squadrons of the United States Space Force Military units and formations in Colorado